For the first time in almost four decades, co-owner Mark O'Brien had to tell a customer he had no hammers.

That's because at 70 percent off, inventory is flying off the shelves. Wednesday was the final day of business at a 92-year old Dorchester institution.

The O'Brien brothers have owned Hamilton hardware for 36 years, selling paint, plumbing and cutting 500 keys a week.

But the economy has been tough on them. And fierce competition from big box chains led to a tough decision.

"Our accountant was threatening us for the last six years that we needed to do something. We just couldn't sustain it," said co-owner Mark O'Brien.

Six days a week the O'Brien brothers were on the floor giving customers that personal touch.

"It means a lot for the neighborhood. We are going to miss this. We are all family. It's sad an emotional," said a long-time customer, Carol.

"They smile, and they help you. Big stores ignore you. At this place, they take care of you," said customer Leo Moss.?"We have a lot of good customers, the same faces. Being a neighborhood store, we know 80 percent of our customers," said co-owner Paul O'Brien.

"We've waited on four generations, parents, children, their children," said co-owner Mark O'Brien.

O'Brien said sometimes people would come in just to chat, or ask advice.

"Sometimes we helped them with therapy. We thought about having a therapy box. It's a full-service operation," O'Brien joked.

He went from filling nail boxes at age 9 to owning the store at age 20.

"It's been a good store. Our kids are all educated. Families have been fed from this business," said O'Brien.

Now their employees have dwindled from 14 to two.

So with much soul-searching, they knew it was time to say goodbye.

"It's bittersweet. But it's also a relief with all the pressures we've had," said Paul O'Brien.

The O'Briens own the building. They will now be landlords to the Dollar Tree store coming soon.

SCENE AFTER PEOPLE NOTICED IT IN THE WATER. POLICE WILL ONLY SAY IT IS THE BODY OF A MAN. A SIGN OF THE TIMES AS A NEAR CENTURY OLD HARDWARE STORE CHOSES IN BOSTON. HAMILTON HARDWARE WAS A LANDMARK AT DORCHESTER. NEW AT 6:00. PHIL LIPOF REPORTS JUST MINUTES AGO THE BROTHERS WHO OWN IT SAID GOOD PI FOR THE LAST TIME. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST FOUR DECADES, CO-OWNER MARK OH O'BRIEN HAD TO TELL ONE CUSTOMER. EDON'T HAVE A HAMMER. THE 7 0% OFF INVENTORY FLYING OFF THE SHELVES. THE FINAL DAY OF BUSINESS AT THIS 90-YEAR-OLD INSTITUTION. THE O'BRIEN BROTHERS HAVE OWNED IT FOR 96 YEARS. FIERCE COMPETITION FROM BIG BOX CHAINS LED TO THIS. THE ACCOUNT AND THE SAYING THIS WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING. WE COULDN'T SUSTAIN. SIX DAYS A WEEK THEY WERE ON THE FLOOR GIVING CUSTOMERS THE PERSONAL TOUCH. MEANS A LOT TO US. FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WILL MISS THIS. IT IS VERY SAD. IT IS VERY EMOTIONAL. WE WILL HELP YOU. YOU GO TO THE BIG STORES AND THEY IGU IGNORE YOU. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD CUSTOMERS AND SEE THE GAME FACES. AND WE WAITED ON THEIR GRAND PARENTS, NEVER MIND THE FATHERS AND NOW THE CHILDREN AND FOURTH GENERATIONS. MARK WENT FROM FILLING NAIL BOXES AT AGE NINE TO OWNING THE STORE AT AGE 20. A GOOD SCORE. OUR KIDS ARE ALL EDUCATED. A LOT OF FAMILIES FED FROM THE BUSINESS. NOW THE EMPLOYEES DWINDLED FROM 14 TO 2 2. PITTER SWEET, I WOULD SAY -- BITTER SWEET. INDEED. THE OH PRY KENS S